C
Colin Barnhorst
New info on "clean" installations and the implications for migrating from
x86 to x64 with an upgrade edition.
Darrel Gorter replied in one of the ng's yesterday that he had performed an
experiment for us with an upgrade edition product key. This is a first from
a Microsoft person. Thank you very much, Darrel.
Based on Darrel's experiment with XP x86 and XP x64, it IS possible to run
Setup from a dvd boot in some scenarios. His experiment was to use an
upgrade product key with one of the yellow dot scenarios. What he found out
was that in those cases entering the UE pk does NOT trigger the message to
restart the computer and run Setup from the legacy desktop. Setup continued
and completed the installation.
Darrel's findings showed that a classic clean install may not be possible
when upgrading from XP x86 to Vista x86, but should be when migrating from
Win2k or XP Pro x64 to Vista. Based on Darrel's experiment with XP x86 and
XP x64, it IS possible to run Setup from a dvd boot in some scenarios. His
experiment was to use an upgrade product key with XP x86 to Vista x86
(upgrade scenario) and with XP x64 to Vista x64 (migration scenario). What
he found out was that XP x86 to Vista x86 required restarting and running
from the desktop, but XP x64 to Vista did not. In that case entering the UE
pk did NOT trigger the message to restart the computer and run Setup from
the legacy desktop. Setup continued and completed the installation from a
dvd boot even though he had entered an upgrade edition product key.
Look at the Upgrade Matrix on Get Ready. The green dots are the upgrades,
meaning that you will have to run Setup from an XP desktop. When you do so
the Advanced Options (including format) are not be available. The AOs are
only available in Setup when you can start Setup following a dvd boot.
Therefore you can only do a classic clean installation in a scenario that
permits running Setup following a dvd boot (and that should be all the
yellow dots in the Matrix).
The yellow dots in the Matrix are what I prefer to call migrations.
Migrations are where you save all your files and settings, install Windows,
reinstall your apps, and then restore your files and settings.
Darrel said that he believes that upon entry of an UE pk, Setup runs a
compliance check to see if any qualifying Windows installations exist on the
system that qualify for upgrade pricing and based on that does one of the
following:
(1) If there is an XP edition that can be upgraded to an equivalent or
higher edition of Vista then you get the message to restart and run Setup
from the XP desktop. The upgrade option will be enabled when you do so.
(2) If there is a Win2k, XP Pro x64, or version of XP that would lose
functionality (XP Pro to Vista Home Premium, for example), then Setup
continues without requiring running from a desktop. What you get with (2)
is a migration. The upgrade option would have been disabled if you had run
Setup from the desktop.
(3) If none is found you should have purchased a full edition.
If (2) holds true for all the yellow dots, it would mean that you can do a
classic clean installation of Vista as long as running from the desktop is
not required because (a) the legacy OS is not running (and therefore the
system drive can be formatted) and (b) the Advanced Options are available
when booting with the dvd.
Also, if (2) holds true for all the yellow dots, it would mean that a Win2k
or XP x86 user could migrate from x86 to x64 with an UE pk by booting with
the x64 dvd instead of the x86 dvd. That will be very welcome news indeed.
It also explains how the process works for XP Pro x64 users when using an UE
pk to migrate to Vista x64.
It appears that Darrel's and Carey's statements a few weeks ago that booting
with a dvd and entering a UE pk required restarting the machine and running
Setup from the legacy desktop were ONLY applicable when upgrading XP x86 to
Vista x86 and only then if a loss of functionality would not be involved.
Until Darrel's reply yesterday I had not seen a single first hand report of
any attempt to use an UE pk in one of the yellow dot scenarios. Darrel was
very gracious to take the time to do it for us because I don't think it was
in his job description.
x86 to x64 with an upgrade edition.
Darrel Gorter replied in one of the ng's yesterday that he had performed an
experiment for us with an upgrade edition product key. This is a first from
a Microsoft person. Thank you very much, Darrel.
Based on Darrel's experiment with XP x86 and XP x64, it IS possible to run
Setup from a dvd boot in some scenarios. His experiment was to use an
upgrade product key with one of the yellow dot scenarios. What he found out
was that in those cases entering the UE pk does NOT trigger the message to
restart the computer and run Setup from the legacy desktop. Setup continued
and completed the installation.
Darrel's findings showed that a classic clean install may not be possible
when upgrading from XP x86 to Vista x86, but should be when migrating from
Win2k or XP Pro x64 to Vista. Based on Darrel's experiment with XP x86 and
XP x64, it IS possible to run Setup from a dvd boot in some scenarios. His
experiment was to use an upgrade product key with XP x86 to Vista x86
(upgrade scenario) and with XP x64 to Vista x64 (migration scenario). What
he found out was that XP x86 to Vista x86 required restarting and running
from the desktop, but XP x64 to Vista did not. In that case entering the UE
pk did NOT trigger the message to restart the computer and run Setup from
the legacy desktop. Setup continued and completed the installation from a
dvd boot even though he had entered an upgrade edition product key.
Look at the Upgrade Matrix on Get Ready. The green dots are the upgrades,
meaning that you will have to run Setup from an XP desktop. When you do so
the Advanced Options (including format) are not be available. The AOs are
only available in Setup when you can start Setup following a dvd boot.
Therefore you can only do a classic clean installation in a scenario that
permits running Setup following a dvd boot (and that should be all the
yellow dots in the Matrix).
The yellow dots in the Matrix are what I prefer to call migrations.
Migrations are where you save all your files and settings, install Windows,
reinstall your apps, and then restore your files and settings.
Darrel said that he believes that upon entry of an UE pk, Setup runs a
compliance check to see if any qualifying Windows installations exist on the
system that qualify for upgrade pricing and based on that does one of the
following:
(1) If there is an XP edition that can be upgraded to an equivalent or
higher edition of Vista then you get the message to restart and run Setup
from the XP desktop. The upgrade option will be enabled when you do so.
(2) If there is a Win2k, XP Pro x64, or version of XP that would lose
functionality (XP Pro to Vista Home Premium, for example), then Setup
continues without requiring running from a desktop. What you get with (2)
is a migration. The upgrade option would have been disabled if you had run
Setup from the desktop.
(3) If none is found you should have purchased a full edition.
If (2) holds true for all the yellow dots, it would mean that you can do a
classic clean installation of Vista as long as running from the desktop is
not required because (a) the legacy OS is not running (and therefore the
system drive can be formatted) and (b) the Advanced Options are available
when booting with the dvd.
Also, if (2) holds true for all the yellow dots, it would mean that a Win2k
or XP x86 user could migrate from x86 to x64 with an UE pk by booting with
the x64 dvd instead of the x86 dvd. That will be very welcome news indeed.
It also explains how the process works for XP Pro x64 users when using an UE
pk to migrate to Vista x64.
It appears that Darrel's and Carey's statements a few weeks ago that booting
with a dvd and entering a UE pk required restarting the machine and running
Setup from the legacy desktop were ONLY applicable when upgrading XP x86 to
Vista x86 and only then if a loss of functionality would not be involved.
Until Darrel's reply yesterday I had not seen a single first hand report of
any attempt to use an UE pk in one of the yellow dot scenarios. Darrel was
very gracious to take the time to do it for us because I don't think it was
in his job description.